MANY farms that had been lying dormant for years have since turned active and productive this season amid revelations that most joint venture partnerships are performing above expectations in complimenting the Government’s efforts to achieve food and nutrition security.
Director of Lands in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Cephas Magauze yesterday confirmed that joint ventures were performing to expectations with many once-dormant farms becoming active and useful in 2022/23 cropping season.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka introduced the joint venture framework under the new land policy to match the devolution agenda through the strategic industrialisation of marginalised rural communities and the promotion of employment creation.
“The joint venture framework is receiving a lot of traction from growers as 1 496 new farms are producing under joint ventures this season,” said Mr Magauze.
He said joint venture arrangements were critical in the creation of strategic partnerships for productivity as they come with technical management and easy access to capital.
“The focus of the programme is on ensuring that we increase crop production through maximum land utilisation to guarantee food self-sufficiency for the country,” Mr Magauze.
He challenged farmers to maximise production on their respective farms in an effort to attain food, feed and seed security for the nation in line with the agenda of transforming the economy into an upper middle income one by 2030. Out 23 000 A2 farmers, only 460 farmers are producing on their allocated land.
The Government is encouraging joint venture programmes and contract farming, as viable frameworks towards achieving maximum land utilisation and optimisation with over 200 000 hectares are under joint venture arrangements.
“These joint ventures provide a platform for the transfer and harnessing of skills with a renewed focus on the economy and exciting times ahead,” Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general Mr Paul Zakariya observed.
These joint venture programmes are match making platforms whereby land owners are paired with farmers that have access to finance and most importantly, the technical ability for land optimisation.
The Government will empower farmers with working capital in the form of inputs, fuel for cropping, tillage and combine harvesting in the presence of support services such as soil testing, among others to bolster production as the programme aims to produce at least 300 000 metric tonnes of grain in its debut season.
With demand for land growing among Zimbabweans in the diaspora, joint venture arrangements have become a viable avenue that can be explored as the Ministry looks to foster partnerships that guarantee productivity.
“Our land utilisation is not at its best with reports on the A1 and A2 productivity scores suggesting that there are some levels of underutilisation, therefore without reversing the gains of the revolution operationalising joint ventures and contract farming frameworks are important,” Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera said recently. – The Herald
